Courtesy : erp.mju.ac.th

Eco-tour entrepreneur

The Philippine government has recognized tourism as an important contributor to the
generation of foreign exchange earnings, investments, revenues, employment and to the
growth of the country’s economic output. Tourism is a major pillar in the country’s Medium
Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) and the Philippine Department of Tourism is
earnestly promoting the Philippines as a premier tourist destination and investment site. USA,
South Korea and Japan have been the leading sources of international visitor arrivals to the
Philippines and a large number of nationalized Filipinos come to the Philippines to visit
friends and relatives.
The Philippine government further recognized that tourism results in a range of economic
impacts, both positive and negative, depending on the location and socioeconomic foundation
of a destination. Particularly in rural areas, the diversification created by tourism helps
communities that are dependent on only one industry. As tourism grows, additional
opportunities are created for investment, development, and infrastructure spending. Tourism
often induces improvements in public utilities such as water, sewer, sidewalks, lighting,
parking, public restrooms, litter control, and landscaping and these improvements benefit
tourists and residents alike.
Boo (1990) found that tourism to protected areas of breathtaking natural scenery, uncommon
ecological interest, and pristine untouched areas has dramatically increased in the past twenty
years. Ceballos-Lascurain (1998) explained ecotourism as any travelling to rather undisturbed or
unspoiled natural areas with the given purpose of learning, perceiving, and relishing the views.
Moreover, wild flora and fauna, including any existing cultural demonstrations, are observed in
these areas. This type of tourism varies from a short walk through a forest to surveys and studies
of particular natural attributes in remote areas. People affiliated with the travel industry are
observing an increasing demand for nature tours and other kinds of extraordinary trips to off-beat
destinations. National parks, reserves, and wildlife refuges in some countries are attracting
growing tourist attention for education and recreation. Thus, nature-based tourism, currently
called ecotourism, has become one of the fastest growing segments of the world tourist industry.
The abundance of natural resources has provided a strong base and appeal for the Philippines
to consider ecotourism as a conservation and development tool. The National Ecotourism
Strategy explicitly described the rich biodiversity of the Philippines as follows:
With just over 7,000 islands, the Philippines is the world’s second largest
archipelago after Indonesia’s 17,000 islands. Along with Borneo and Papua
New Guinea, the Philippines forms the Coral Triangle, the most diverse
marine habitat of the tropics. The beautiful reefs of the Sulu and Sulawesi seas
are home to about 580 of the world’s 793 species of reef-building corals,
compared to just 50 in the Caribbean and over 300 in the Great Barrier Reef.
It is also the habitat for 1,200 varieties of reef fish, including the planktonfeeding whale shark, the world’s largest fish. The natural resource base for
ecotourism also encompasses wetlands, volcanoes, rugged cliffs, craggy
seascapes, and serene lakes surrounded by woodlands harboring a rich
variety of plants and animals. In the forest, fields and mountains about 500

2nd International Conference on
Sustainable Tourism Management
of TDS, MJU. Thailand
Sustainability and Quality – of – Life in Tourism: Tasks
for Consumers, Industry, Policy and Academia
7th Biennial Symposium on Consumer
Psychology of Tourism, Hospitality, and
Leisure of IACTHR, Austria
2nd International Conference on
Sustainable Tourism Management
of TDS, MJU. Thailand
Sustainability and Quality – of – Life in Tourism:
Tasks for Consumers, Industry, Policy and Academia
species of birds have been recorded, of which 172 species are found only in
these islands. The Philippines ranks fifth in the world and second in Asia, next
to Indonesia, in terms of its number of endemic animals. Among plant rich
countries in the world, the Philippines ranks 25th in the world and eighth in
Asia. According to Conservation International, the Philippines is both a megadiversity country and one of the world’s highest priority hotspots for the
conservation of nature. (DOT & DENR, 2002)
Ecotourism, as a Philippine government policy, had its roots in the 20-year Philippine
Tourism Master Plan (TMP) (DOT, 1991). The Philippine government has signified
ecotourism as the development strategy towards poverty reduction and the upliftment of the
quality of life in host communities. Most of the 7,107 islands of the Archipelago are small
islands and are still undeveloped or suffering the most from severe poverty due to lack of
livelihood opportunities, Each one, however, is a potential ecotourism destination because
of its beautiful natural resources and uniquely rich cultural heritage.
In 1998, the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the
Department of Tourism issued a joint-memorandum, Guide Laws for Ecotourism
Development in the Philippines, wherein ecotourism was defined as:
A low-impact, environmentally-sound and community-participatory tourism
activity in a given natural environment that enhances the conservation of
biophysical understanding and education and yields socio-economic benefits
to the concerned community
On the other hand, the official Philippine definition as adopted by the National Ecotourism
Development Council (DOT & DENR, 2002) is that ecotourism is “a form of sustainable
tourism within a natural and cultural heritage area where community participation, protection
and management of natural resources, culture and indigenous knowledge and practices,
environmental education and ethics as well as economic benefits are fostered and pursued for
the enrichment of host communities and satisfaction of visitors.” The four pillars of
ecotourism as identified in the Philippine National Ecotourism Strategy (NES) are:
“sustainable management of natural and cultural resources, environmental education and
conservation awareness, empowerment of local communities, development of products that
will satisfy visitor need; and position the Philippines as a globally competitive ecotourism
destination” (DOT & DENR, 2002).
Ecotourism is one strategy being used in and around protected areas in the Philippines for
supporting conservation and providing income generating opportunities for local peoples in
rural areas. Ecotourism typically is provided by a network of businesses that, together, offer
the different products and services needed by the ecotourist. This includes food services and
food supplies, sports and outfitting equipment and supplies, lodging, and guide services.
Envisioned as a positive approach towards sustainable development, ecotourism programs
and destinations are springing up in natural areas around the country. With the upsurge of
nation-wide interest to adopt ecotourism as a strategy for economic development and the
betterment of the well-being of the local people, this research about the Philippine
Department of Tourism Grassroots Entrepreneurship for Ecotourism (GREET) program was

2nd International Conference on
Sustainable Tourism Management
of TDS, MJU. Thailand
Sustainability and Quality – of – Life in Tourism: Tasks
for Consumers, Industry, Policy and Academia
7th Biennial Symposium on Consumer
Psychology of Tourism, Hospitality, and
Leisure of IACTHR, Austria
2nd International Conference on
Sustainable Tourism Management
of TDS, MJU. Thailand
Sustainability and Quality – of – Life in Tourism:
Tasks for Consumers, Industry, Policy and Academia
pursued in the hope that it may provide valuable inputs in the development of tourism
entrepreneurs.
Specifically, using the online database of program applicants as of 2008, this research aims to
examine the profile of the GREET program applicants and the types of ecotourism businesses
of the applicants. The study also explores the profile of the first grant beneficiaries and the
challenges faced by the grant beneficiaries regarding the growth, profitability and
sustainability of their businesses.
The paper is organized as follows: a brief description of the GREET program and its
mechanics is presented followed by the profile of the program applicants and first grant
beneficiaries. Subsequently, the implications of the research findings are discussed and the
conclusion is identified.
The Philippine Grassroots Entrepreneurs for Ecotourism Program
Aiming to enhance the livelihood opportunities for promising entrepreneurs who can best
explore the inherent tourist-drawing potential of eco-tourism sites, the Philippine Department
of Tourism launched the Grassroots Entrepreneurship for Ecotourism (GREET) program in
2007 (GREET Project Brief, 2007). The Grassroots Entrepreneurs for EcoTourism (GREET)
program was conceptualised by the President of the Philippines Gloria Arroyo after a visit in
Donsol, Sorsogon and experienced the Whale Shark Interaction Tour. She was inspired by
the entrepreneurial spirit of the community and its environmental stewardships that led to
economic growth of the area. Donsol is a sleepy town located at the northwest part of
Sorsogon in the Bicol Region. In 1998, Donsol suddenly became a hotspot with the
rediscovery of whale sharks in its waters. People in this town have known the whale sharks
for generations but paid little attention until marine biologists monitored the behavior of the
overwhelming number of these giant creatures locally called ‘Butanding”. The fishing village
was suddenly flooded by divers and tourists who wanted a glimpse of the world’s largest fish.
In 2001, the community organised the Donsol Whale Shark Interaction Tour and actively
involved in providing tourist services such as homestay program, boat operation, whaleshark
interaction officer, and others. With the growth in tourist traffic (800 tourists in 1998 to 7,100
tourists in 2005) and receipts from (Php454,875 in 1998 to Php9,000,000 in 2005), Donsol
was elevated as 3rd class municipality in 2006 from 5th class in 2003. In 2006, whale
watching in Donsol drew 11,000 tourists with Php 50 Million tourism revenues generated.
The underlying principles in the creation of the GREET program are:
 Ecotourism is a significant tool in sustainable development of the
country as it advocates protection of our natural resources and seeks to
put in place mechanisms that are environmentally-sustainable,
economically-viable and socially-equitable (as cited in the National
Ecotourism Strategy, 2002);
 Promotion and safeguard ecotourism sites in the Philippines; and
 Enhancement of livelihood opportunities to local young entrepreneurs
and its community (GREET Project Brief, 2007).
Using an initial funding of P10 Million, the GREET program was launched in Donsol and
other ecotourism areas in the Philippines. The GREET program extended Php50,000 to

2nd International Conference on
Sustainable Tourism Management
of TDS, MJU. Thailand
Sustainability and Quality – of – Life in Tourism: Tasks
for Consumers, Industry, Policy and Academia
7th Biennial Symposium on Consumer
Psychology of Tourism, Hospitality, and
Leisure of IACTHR, Austria
2nd International Conference on
Sustainable Tourism Management
of TDS, MJU. Thailand
Sustainability and Quality – of – Life in Tourism:
Tasks for Consumers, Industry, Policy and Academia
Php100,000 blocks worth to aspiring entrepreneurs with business proposals that aims to
improve tourism-related services and products in ecotourism sites in the country. With these
grants, it is intended to create favorable business environment in the countryside and develop
pioneering industries that would spur economic growth on sustained management of eco
tourism sites. The first awarding of the grants was in September 2007.

The program provided assistance in the form of financial aid or provision of skills,
knowledge, values, and other resources to projects that espouse environmental sustainability
in concerned regions across the country. The program further aimed to assist small-time
shops that offer local delicacy, souvenirs and other ecotourism-related activities, as well as,
promote countryside tourism. The Program intended to achieve the following:
 Employment generation;
 Livelihood creation;
 Balanced ecology & environmental protection;
 Promotion and marketing of ecotourism sites as potential tourist
destinations; and
 Tourism development.
The primary objective of the program is to develop the GREET Program as an effective
socio-economic mechanism responsive in forging balanced ecotourism environment and
preserving cultural heritage thereby resulting to favorable improvement in community and
national economy (GREET Project Brief, 2007). Its secondary objectives are:
 Encourage small & medium entrepreneurships in key eco-tourism sites
that explore local ingenuity and creativity using local materials and
employ local talents;
 Develop pioneering industries that would spur economic growth and
sustain the maintenance of eco-tourism sites;
 Provide seed/start-up capital to aspiring young entrepreneurs;
 Create favorable business environment and positive attitude by
educating the community to be responsive entrepreneurs who will
safeguard the management of eco-tourism sites;
 Promote the development of products that will satisfy visitors’ needs
while positioning the Philippines as a globally competitive ecotourism
destination (GREET Project Brief, 2007).
Figure 1 presents the program mechanics.
(Insert Figure 1 here)
The eligible applicants are individuals who are:
• Filipino, aged 18 yrs old & above;
• Bonafide residents of eco-tourism sites;
• At least high school graduate;
• Must be of good moral character; and
• Preferably a member of community organizations based in
town or region where eco-tourism site is.

2nd International Conference on
Sustainable Tourism Management
of TDS, MJU. Thailand
Sustainability and Quality – of – Life in Tourism: Tasks
for Consumers, Industry, Policy and Academia
7th Biennial Symposium on Consumer
Psychology of Tourism, Hospitality, and
Leisure of IACTHR, Austria
2nd International Conference on
Sustainable Tourism Management
of TDS, MJU. Thailand
Sustainability and Quality – of – Life in Tourism:
Tasks for Consumers, Industry, Policy and Academia
Also eligible are organizations and business associations based and operating where ecotourism site is located and duly accredited by local government who have:
• Demonstrated successful of programs for community and have
developed network of key stakeholders and partners; and
• Must manifest functionality
Ineligibles are members of the organizing committee, implementing officers, partner
organizations and LGUs, and their relatives up to 3rd degree of consanguinity.
Applications were assessed and graded through a “point rating system” shown below and the
winners were selected on the highest points garnered (GREET Project Brief, 2007).
 Originality, uniqueness, creativity (20 pts)
 Viability of implementation & projections (20 pts)
 Economic Impact & job creation (20 pts)
 Promotion of natural & cultural preservation (20 pts)
 Growth potentials (20 pts)
The successful applicants were required to enter into a legal agreement with DOT which
included the following requirements:
• Milestones, deliverables and performance measures;
• Project budget;
• Project management;
• Mode and schedule of grant releases;
• Accountability framework;
• Communication strategies;
• Contract default and termination clauses with associated
remedies; and
• Monitoring and reporting (GREET Project Brief, 2007).
The successful projects were required to acknowledge the GREET program and the
prominent inclusion of GREET logo on all promotional materials and store/establishment
banners (GREET Project Brief, 2007). The GREET Program Committee reserved the right to
reproduce, use, publish and distribute any intellectual property that has arisen out of the
project to help promote the program; and to recover funds based on non-performance of
contractual agreement. It was imperative that all grantees would be given capacity building,
environment stewardship and sustainable development seminars to ensure their ability in
business management and their knowledge in doing business in an ecotourism site (GREET
Project Brief, 2007).
The manner of the grant release was 50% upon approval of the grant and the balance to be
remitted on schedule determined by DOT Regional Office. The DOT Regional Office was
tasked to monitor the businesses, evaluate the level of implementation and identify the gaps
in the program implementation (GREET Project Brief, 2007).
Profile of Program Applicants and First Program Beneficiaries
Since the implementation of the program in 2008, it has been reported that DOT has received
more than 400 proposals from entrepreneurs (see Table 1). Forty nine (49) percent were

2nd International Conference on
Sustainable Tourism Management
of TDS, MJU. Thailand
Sustainability and Quality – of – Life in Tourism: Tasks
for Consumers, Industry, Policy and Academia
7th Biennial Symposium on Consumer
Psychology of Tourism, Hospitality, and
Leisure of IACTHR, Austria
2nd International Conference on
Sustainable Tourism Management
of TDS, MJU. Thailand
Sustainability and Quality – of – Life in Tourism:
Tasks for Consumers, Industry, Policy and Academia
individual applicants while the remaining fifty one (51) percent were socio-civic
organizations, associations, tourism councils, non-government organizations, and private
corporations. The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) had the most number of
approved proposals with 123 proposals while the National Capital Region (NCR) with 1
proposal and Central Luzon (Region 3) with 4 proposals had the least number of approved
proposals.
(Insert Table 1 here)
As stipulated in the program guidelines, an entrepreneur who has a feasible enterprise can get
P50,000 to P100,000 cash grant, depending on the type business, to augment capital, buy
inventory and equipment, or for other needs of the business. The official website of GREET
did not provide any information regarding the approved beneficiaries per region and the
amount of grants received. However, the Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) reported
that it has extended P17 million for the past 2 years to help spur the development of
ecotourism projects at the grassroots level.
The types of business projects of the approved proposals by region are shown in Table 2.
The predominant type of business project in each region varied and seemed to follow the
status of ecotourism development in the region. In general, the approved business projects
followed these summarized categories:
• Tourism Products
– Operation of new services (tour guiding, interaction guiding, ground handling,
etc.);
– Operation of new activities (whitewater rafting, hiking, canopy walk, surfing,
diving, watersports, kayaking, etc.);
– Improvement of existing services and upgrading of activities;
– Development of new ecotourism destinations and improvement of existing
ecotourism sites
• Tourism Establishments

• Accommodation Facilities (homestay program, camping, etc)
• Food & Beverage Facilities
• Souvenir shops selling local produced products
• Trading Centers
• Handicraft Village
• Gears & Equipment Shops
• Transport facilities
• Tourist Information Centers
  • Tourism Related Services
• Handicraft Training
• Business Operation Training
• Rescue and Medical Services
• Promotional/Advertising/Published Materials: Guidebooks, Maps, Websites
  The first GREET beneficiaries were:
  • Mr. Lamberto Avisado, Jr.: River Cruiser & Canteen (Ugong River)
  The River Cruiser and canteen is a floating structure, boat style of a catamaran with walls
  and roofs made of nipa and bamboo structures. It caters to tourists of the River Cruise
  and Fireflies watching tours at the Quipin River and Ogod River.

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Sustainability and Quality – of – Life in Tourism: Tasks
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Leisure of IACTHR, Austria
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• Donsol Boat Association: Butanding (Whale Shark) Boat Services Improvement
Physical improvement of service boats used for providing better service to Donsol tourists.
The project included boat repainting and improvements on the boat ladders, seats, and top
flooring, as well as, the provision of life rings and life jackets.
• Mr. Allan Amanse & Ms. Theresa Bernacer: Butanding T-Shirt and Souvenir Shop
The souvenir shop sold t-shirts designed with environmental messages, highlighting
whale shark conservation, souvenir items and fashion accessories with designs or
woodcarvings of whale sharks.
(Insert Table 2 here)
Based on personal interviews of some of the grant applicants, the major challenges that the
new community-level ecotourism businesses face are the lack of capital among local
entrepreneurs, the lack of collateral to secure loans, the high risk of new ventures, and the
inadequate business management skills to produce quality business plans that take advantage
of the market opportunity.
Conclusion and Implications
Ecotourism has been one of the fastest growing tourism niches in the Philippines. In fact,
financial and banking executives have identified ecotourism as one of three industries that
will drive the country forward, the other two industries being business process outsourcing
and mining. The Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR),
Department of Tourism (DOT) and various non-government organizations and foundations
have been promoting the Philippines as a world-class ecotourism destination and the DOT is
intensively developing and implementing activities to promote ecotourism sites to domestic
and international visitors. With the GREET Program, ecotourism is being projected as the
great new hope for the local entrepreneur and is expected to be a great source of opportunity
for small businesses and the marginalized indigenous communities. Due to its promise of
sustained environmental, social, and economic gains, it is also the preferred type of tourism
development by many local government officials.
The ecotourism business ventures as shown from the findings of this study seem to be so
numerous, varied and unlimited in scope. From the findings, there seem to be a big diversity
in terms of type and scale of the ecotourism business proposals accepted for grant
consideration. Even if the program follows a point rating system to assess the business
proposals, the diversity and scale of the accepted business proposals raise some questions
about whether the accepted business proposals and the grant beneficiaries truly embody the
principles of sustainability, environmental sensitivity, and respect for local peoples and
cultures. Ecotourism, if it is to be sustained, must be economically viable, environmentally
appropriate, and socio-culturally acceptable. Further study and continuous monitoring is
needed in order to examine whether the grant beneficiaries have sustainable, environmentally
appropriate and socio-culturally acceptable as they implement and operate their approved
businesses. It is worth noting the importance of the program’s mandatory requirement for
grant recipients to be given capacity building, environment stewardship and sustainable
development seminars to ensure their ability in business management and their knowledge in
doing business in an ecotourism site as this requirement addresses the identified challenges of
the grassroots entrepreneurs.